Cancelled & Unreleased Video Games for the Commodore 64 Since 1999
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Status: No Download, Findability: 5/5
Originally it was wondered if this Blue Ribbon entry for a game called “Cavefighter” was related to the 1984 Bubble Bus release.
In August 2025, it was confirmed by Warren Pilkington to be just that, so not a unique title that was yet to be recovered. So its a case closed!
Contributions: Marco, Warren Pilkington
19/08/25 – Confirmed as released.
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I also have a Re-Release of C64 Cave Fighter as a Bonus Game together on the same Disk with Snap Dragon. The Publisher is ShareData in the USA. I am surprised that this game made it’s long way from the USA to a german Supermarket in the beginning of the 1990s. I also bought the US Disk Release of Speedball in the same place with its great cover. Bad luck was the US Disk Release of Shinobi which does not run on my PAL Commodore 64.
That’s very cool – sometimes it can be a small world :)
Following my previous comment, it does seem like it was the Bubble Bus version re-released. There’s a copy on eBay at present:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255343034125
Note also Blue Ribbon was also a budget label for CDS.
That’s fantastic Warren – many thanks for confirming! We did wonder if it was just a budget re-release and its great to close the case on it. Doing that now :)
Cave Fighter did get a Blue Ribbbon re-release of the Bubble Bus original on the Commodore 16 and Plus/4 which is detailed here over on Plus/4 World:
https://plus4world.powweb.com/software/Cave_Fighter
What is notable is that the screen shots on the back inlay are from the Commodore 64 version, which is the Bubble Bus version (Richard Clark’s RC initials at the bottom match are a giveaway when comparing).
I suspect that Blue Ribbon were going to re-release it on the C64, but did not for some reason?
I have no idea if related as I know many unrelated games can share exactly the same name. I have a compilation called 6 Computer Hits and the 6th title is called Cave Fighter by Bubblebus. The compilation is dated 1985 by Beau Jolly Ltd.
Yeah, this one might be a case of just having the same name as the Bubblebus game. But we’re not 100% sure if it was just a budget re-release or a completely unique game.